Ilkley Riverside Park to burst into colour with new crocus planting

Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks are teaming up with local garden designer Helen Taylor to bring a spectacular splash of spring colour to the park, with a special bulb planting morning taking place on Saturday 28 November.

Volunteers will plant 15,000 mixed crocus bulbs along the main path, naturalising them into the grass beneath the tree avenue. The purple, white and lilac flowers will create a colourful display from the Memorial Garden towards the children’s play area, flowering in early spring before the grass mowing season begins.

Helen Taylor has organised the planting alongside Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks and has invited other local garden designers and gardeners, some of her garden design clients, as well as friends and family. The team is also looking for more local people to come along and get involved.

Helen said: “We’re looking for more helpers to plant the crocuses, so if you’re free that morning, please come along.  You don’t need to be an experienced gardener – we’d love anyone who wants to help improve the park to come and join us.”

The group will also be holding a plant sale, with proceeds going towards further planting improvements in the park. Donations of plants and money are also welcome. Donations can be given via JustGiving here: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/foirpuk. Helen and FOIRP would like to carry out further bulb planting next year if they can get the financial and practical support.

Spring bulbs such as crocuses are often seen as a sign of the end of winter, bringing colour, optimism and the promise of brighter days ahead.

Helen adds: “A large swathe of crocus naturalised in grass gives so much impact at a time when there is relatively little flower colour in the park, but in a much more sustainable way than annual bedding plants which have to be replaced several times a year. The spring flowers also provide an important early source of food for pollinators before many other plants come into flower."

The crocus planting is the latest in a series of improvements made to Ilkley Riverside Park by Friends of Ilkley Riverside Park, working with Helen Taylor and Rachel Forbes another local gardener and designer.

Ed Duguid, Chair of Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks, said: “We’ve greatly improved the planting in the park over the last few years with help from Helen and her associates. We’ve created a garden around the memorial with roses, perennials and bulbs, cleared and planted the large embankments at the New Brook Street, replanted Castle Street entrances and established a wildflower meadow. Alongside this, our volunteers spend a lot of time litter picking, tidying and weeding to keep the park looking its best.”

“Sadly, our number of volunteers have gradually reduced so we’re keen to recruit some new helpers. There’s always something that needs doing in the park, so if you can spare any time, however much or little, we’d love to hear from you.”

The Council has no dedicated budget for planting in the park beyond grass cutting, meaning Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks have to rely on grants, donations and fundraising to pay for plants and equipment. Local businesses and organisations have helped support previous projects, while Helen and her associates generously give their time and expertise free of charge to edit the planting and advise on existing and new projects.

The crocus project has received support from Ilkley’s Rotary clubs, who are donating some of the bulbs as part of Rotary International’s Purple4Polio campaign. Further improvements are also planned, including planting a native hedge to create a screen around the park’s composting area and adding ornamental shrubs to the Memorial Garden. Some of these plants have been donated or funded with support from local businesses including Old Bridge Nursery and Moss & Moor.

A spokesperson from Rotary said: “We’re delighted to support this project through Rotary’s Purple4Polio campaign and help bring even more colour to Ilkley Riverside Park. The crocuses will provide a beautiful display for the local community to enjoy for years to come, while also helping to raise awareness of the Purple4Polio campaign and Rotary’s ongoing work to eradicate polio worldwide.

"We’re particularly pleased to support Friends of Ilkley Riverside Park and their volunteers, who give so much of their time to improving this much-loved community space. We hope the planting morning is a great success and encourages even more people to get involved.”

Anyone who would like to get involved with the crocus planting is invited to meet at the Memorial Garden at the New Brook Street entrance to Ilkley Riverside Park at 10am on Saturday 28 November. Volunteers are asked to bring a dibber if they have one, or a slim trowel, along with a kneeling pad if required and, most importantly, plenty of enthusiasm. Volunteers without tools are welcome too as the Friends of Riverside Parks have some that can be shared.

For more information about volunteering with Friends of Ilkley Riverside Parks, please contact foirp2@gmail.com